Human Character Class as a Culture

Despite embracing OD&D (warts and all). I still want to make sense of some things inheirent in the game. Its a hold over from my earlier days when I quested for some type of realism. I was also one of those types who tried to rationalize the continuity errors in Star Trek. I don't mind race-as-class in the game but I did want to try to reason out the weapon/armour restrictions for Clerics and Magic-Users. Despite the nonsetting background of the early game they seem very set in a specific models of their character types. I was looking for a good reason to tell players as to why it there were no Gandalf types in my game (never has more aurguments been spawned by that sword swinging wizard). Way back at the start of this blog I postulated that Thulsa Doom was a cleric despite his sword wielding. In that case I figured it was because of his alignment. However the beginnings of an idea were formed then. If you can break them you can make them, (rules that is). So what would be plausible for players to accept if they asked? Well I started to think; how did charcters aquire their skills? And how would this fit into a background I was constructing? My initial idea was that there were schools for training. This is a common theme in fantasy stories. A school for magic or for a fighting style. This satisfied me at first. But when I looked at non-humans I realized that they were described as cultures. They were not only race-as-class but culture-as-class. This could work for humans too. Having the weight of an entire cultural background to backup the weapon/armour restictions makes alot of sense to me. History is full of cultures know for a predominant trait. As I am building a culture based in antiquity these cultures could be based around city-states. Human lands could be dominated by three city-states. Lets call them alpha, beta and gamma for now. Alpha is a warrior culture and is where Fighters are from. Beta is a theocracy and trains Clerics. And Gamma familiar with the ways of scorcery teaches Magic-Users. Gammans use Alphan mercenaries to protect themselves so they never bother to teach any fighting skills of their students. In fact they look down upon the soldiery profession. Beta despite teaching fighting arts never developed the fine metalworking skills to make large blades. So they distain the use of them. Three cultures for the human character classes. All of that sounds better than becuse the rulebook says so.

The End Game

Reciently I got to do something in a game that I have never done before. Finish playing a character. Horstmar, my Dwarven character was retired. Unlike so many other campaigns (with other groups) that were abandoned after a few sessions, this one lasted. After more than a year of playing weekly this one ended. The Gamemaster decided to wrap up the story to start another. And in true classic old school style they went out with style. It was an epic end. All the charcters had their stories wrap up with an end game similar to OD&D. Their choices put them in places were continuing to adventure didn't make sense. They became part of the world and its background story. In Horstmar's case he started as lowly warrior, rose to become an ambassador. And became the king of a lost dwarven colony rebuilding to its past glory. Interseting story right? And isn't creating interesting stories the best thing about roleplaying? Isn't the point, actually?

Another Anniversary

Today , the 15 th of January marks another anniversary. Twenty years ago today I moved to London (Ontario). It was an unusual thing for me to do. I was born in Toronto and was raised in Mississauga (nearby suburban city). Unlike where I came from I knew only a few people in town. Gaming became my method for making friends. I hung out at a gaming store (yeah I know). I met and got know my fellow gamers. Many of them became friends. Some 20yrs later I'm still friends with them. My hobby helped the transition to a new city. Almost ten years ago I might have moved back to Toronto. But I didn't, the friends I made helped anchor me here. Gaming has had quite the impact on my life. I don't know what I'd do with it.

One Year Ago

One year ago I started this blog. My first gaming blog. My very first blog was years ago and I let it lapse. I don't intend to do the same with this one. I don't know how many people view this blog. But for anyone who takes time out to read me, my thanks. I hope I can add some small insight into the larger gaming hobby. Writting is hard, and despite having a knack for expressing myself it doesn't come easy. Thoughts don't always translate onto the page so smoothly. I am in awe of anyone who can write daily. In particular I would worship (but i'm not religious) James Maliszewski of Grognardia. Not only does he post almost every day, but sometimes several posts a day. And long posts with many words. Not like the stunted blurbs I produce. I prefer to write poetry ranther than novels. Motivation to write about gaming sometimes is as scarce as motivation to actually play. I will keep posting and you (whomever you might be) keep reading.

Big Thick and Hard

Yeah I know your mind went there. But I'm talking about rulebooks. Although I am big proponent of simple rules, I like big rulebooks. There is just something so satisfing about a big thick rulebook. Its as if maybe the larger the page count the more valuable the book. Thats not the case in my experience but it seems that way. It just feels good to heft one of those 400+pg babies in your hands.

Cutting down to the basics

I have been tying to get to the core idea of the D&D system. Despite all the add-on rules of the later versions, one thing is clear. D&D is a combat system. Characters have hit points and attack rolls because they were trained in combat. The origin of roleplaying is wargaming. Before it was characters in a adventure it was models in a scenario. The rules focus on fighting and the DM handles everything else. I have begun changing the way my world works to fit this idea. There are no non-combatant stat lines. NPC's who don't fight don't have stats. They don't have levels. They don't have hit points. I as the DM can decide what happens to them if hit by weapons or magic. I can define character classes by their role in combat terms. The Fighter is of course obvious. What about Magic-Users? They are fighting mages, trained for magical combat. Cleric? Holy warriors, fighting for a cause. But not Thieves. I don't consider the thief a viable class because fighting is secondary to them. I am tossing out any class that doesn't fight as its principal role. By concentrating on only using the rules for combat I can have greater control and streamline the mechanics of each game session. I can let the story move the game along. And give players more control over non-combat actions. Experience is now only for defeating enemies. Non-combat success is measured by bonus points, story points or hero points. I haven't decided if this will work as redeemable points in game or a running total similar to EXP. The running total idea will work this; the more points a character has the higher importance in the world. The more things the will happen for the benefit of the character but also the larger challenges they will face. They can accomplish much with just swordplay but greater rewards lie within the story.

Weather or not, the play is the thing

Now that the weather is turning cooler my thoughts drift to nostalgia. Particularly my early days of gaming. I'm sure I did more roleplaying in summer. But there is something about the fall that makes me think more of games past. Maybe its because my early days of roleplaying were inexorably linked to school. School provided the means to find fellow players. I did game with friends but I also made friends with gamers. There were a number of classmates of whom I would have never have gotten to know if not for gaming. Every fall offered new beginnings. New campaigns, new players and new games. The cooler temperatures is motivation to spend more time indoors (the natural environment of the gamer). Its been a long time since the change in the weather meant back to school and back to more gaming. But the changing leaves still make me think about gaming.